"TOMORROW YOU MUST COOK FOR YAMUNA DEVI DASI!"
[15th October, 1972, Radha Damodar Temple, Vrindavan, India]
I made my way to Srila Prabhupada's kitchen. Upon entering, I offered my obeisances. I never considered how offensive I was to take such liberties. Srila Prabhupada was sitting there taking prasadam. He was in the very spot where he had spent years devising his plan to conquer the world with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He looked up with a beautiful glance and asked, "So, you have taken prasadam?"
"No," I replied. "I have just taken bath."
"Oh, so you haven't taken prasadam," Srila Prabhupada responded charmingly. "Yamuna, fix him a plate of prasadam."
"No, that's all right," I said. "I will wait until you are finished."
"No. Sit down and take prasadam," he told me
I happily complied with his instruction, a rascal that I was. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life. I was taking prasadam with Srila Prabhupada. Just the two of us. In Vrindaban. At Radha-Damodara Temple. The mercy of the pure devotee is unlimited.
I wasn't prepared for what followed. After tasting Yamuna devi's cooking, I realized I had never before tasted prasadam. Also, I realized I had never cooked anything fit to be offered. Yamuna devi was an empowered devotee of the Lord, sent here to sumptuously feed Srila Prabhupada. Each and every preparation tasted incredible. She made perfect chapatis. The subjis tasted as if they came from the spiritual world. Seated with Srila Prabhupada I realized what a disservice I had performed by cooking for him. He sometimes said I cooked "nice American prasadam." Now I understood what he meant. Yamuna's cooking was so transcendental that it seemed like I had never eaten before.
"So, you like?" Srila Prabhupada asked as we were finishing.
"Yes, Srila Prabhupada," I enthusiastically said. "Very much."
He smiled and said, "So, today she has fixed your lunch. Now, tomorrow you cook for her. This is the Vedic custom. Today she has done some service for you, now tomorrow you must serve her."
"Oh, yes Prabhupada," I said.
At other times Srila Prabhupada said, "One has to always be ready to serve a person, not simply you are always accepting service. You call someone 'prabhu'. Prabhu means master. What is the question of you accepting service from your master. You are servant and you are calling them prabhu and accepting so much service from your master. So, I am calling you 'prabhu'. It means I must render service. Thisattitude must be there, that I am everyone's servant because I am calling everyone 'prabhu'."
[Ref. Book: 'Srila Prabhupada Uvaca' by SP's Personal servant- H.G. Srutakirti Das
Chapter 50: Now tomorrow you must serve Yamuna Devi]
Dinesh
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